


Snapdragon

by iisaax



Series: Inflorescence [2]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Ficlet, Genderfluid Character, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, I hope, Other, Post-Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Post-Serum Steve Rogers, Pre-Captain America: The First Avenger, Pre-Serum Steve Rogers, Trans Character, Transphobia
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-12
Updated: 2018-08-12
Packaged: 2019-06-26 03:13:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,380
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15654597
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/iisaax/pseuds/iisaax
Summary: “Stop worrying so much,” they rolled their eyes, running their hands down the fabric. “I love it.”Steve grinned, leaning forward. “Really? That’s a relief. I was scared it wouldn’t fit. I got the biggest size they had…”Bucky did a spin, holding down the front of the skirt as it lifted around them.-snap·drag·on/ˈsnap-ˌdra-gən/1. any plant belonging to the genusAntirrhinum2. represents disinterest from attention; strength





	Snapdragon

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! More trans Bucky coming your way :-)
> 
> Content warning for this fic: slurs, misgendering, brief mention of blood (someone gets a nosebleed)
> 
> edit: Now with flower definition to match the other works in the [Inflorescence](https://archiveofourown.org/series/1103838) series

Bucky had turned, hands splayed down over their hips. They turned the other way, smiling.

“What d’you think?” came a timid voice from behind them.

Bucky looked in the mirror at the boy sitting on the edge of the bed, one of his knees propped up, the other leg bouncing anxiously.

“Stop worrying so much,” they rolled their eyes, running their hands down the fabric. “I love it.”

Steve grinned, leaning forward. “Really? That’s a relief. I was scared it wouldn’t fit. I got the biggest size they had…”

Bucky did a spin, holding down the front of the skirt as it lifted around them.

As it floated back into place, they spotted Steve staring dopily at them. “You’ve always been a good dancer, Buck,” he said. “Shucks, imagine dancin’ in _that_.”

“No way,” Bucky drawled. “Not even at a fairy bar could I wear somethin’ like this. I do appreciate it, though. How much was it? A lot?”

Steve held up a hand, shaking his head.

“No object,” he said. “I had some saved up from my portraits.”

Bucky pursed their lips and placed their hands on their hips. They weren’t happy about it, but there was no use arguing with Steve.

“Say,” they said after a while. “Got any old lipstick?”

-

Bucky is taking deep breaths. They look at their metal hand where it grips the curtain to the dressing room. They look down at their flesh hand where it grips the hem of the dress. That one is shaking, but they take another deep breath, a sniper one, and it stops. They pull open the curtain.

Steve looks up from his magazine.

“Wow,” he says breathlessly, setting it aside.

Bucky blushes, smoothing their hands down the front of the dress. _Their_ dress.

Steve stands and makes his way towards Bucky. He reaches out to tuck a strand of hair behind Bucky’s ear. Bucky tips his head into Steve’s palm, smiling.

“D’you like it?” they ask quietly.

“Buck… I _love_ it. You look so pretty.”

Bucky blushes harder, tucking their chin.

“Dude, what the fuck?”

Bucky’s head snaps back up. They see a couple of people lingering nearby, one of them staring openly and the other suppressing a laugh. Bucky pales. They open their mouth to say something, anything, but Steve beats them to it.

“Can we _help_ you?” Steve asks, putting on his best smile.

“Yeah uhhh,” one of them starts, the other nudging him and obviously holding in laughter. “ _What the fuck is that_?”

Steve puts an arm in front of Bucky, who is rapidly regretting their decision to get out of bed this morning.

“None of your business, that’s what,” he says in his Captain America voice.

“But like,” the laughing man squeezes out. “What _is_ it? We’ve been trying to figure it out for ages.” He dissolves into giggles.

“Yeah, I’m betting it’s a hermaphrodite or something, but he thinks you guys are just fags.”

Steve bristles. Bucky mumbles a “Stevie,” trying to stop the inevitable.

Steve steps forward anyway. Oh, boy.

“ _What_ did you call them?” Steve asks, eerily calm.

“ _Them??_ Oh God,” the first guy gags, turning with a grin to the other. “It’s a tranny, I was right.”

“Dude! Look-”

Bucky flinches as the first guy gets a busted jaw. _Oh, boy._

The guy pushes himself up into a sitting position, looking very offended and a little shocked. He’s back on his feet surprisingly fast, and tackles into Steve’s chest - or at least tries to - barking a laugh in a rather creepy way.

Bucky watches, letting it continue for a moment just to get back at the two men, not knowing what to do with their hands. Then, oh! They discover their dress has pockets.

Bucky probably lets it go on for too long, though, because by the time the first guy is passed out on the ground and the other guy seems to be heading in the same direction, security has shown up and is separating the remaining two.

“Let me _go_ , dammit! That asshole hit Frank!” the second guy shouts, sounding a little dazed and squirming in the security guard’s hold.

“Officer,” Steve says, and it comes out congested. Geez, his nose is bleeding. “It was self-defense.”

“Sorry, Cap, we saw you throw the first punch.” And oh, great. They know who Steve is. Bucky slinks back into the dressing room.

Steve flounders for a bit, then Bucky can hear him say, “I was responding to a hate crime, sir.”

Bucky sits down. This could take a while. They look over at themself in the mirror. Is that what it was? A hate crime? Bucky doesn’t feel like they’re quite different enough to qualify for that. They’re just… okay, they’re different. They start to pout, getting a little bored.

A long time passes, then there’s a low knock outside Bucky’s dressing room.

“Come in,” they call, still pouting.

Steve enters, pulling the curtain closed behind him. He sits opposite Bucky, and their knees knock against each other.

“Hey,” he says, a little nasal.

“Hey,” Bucky replies, looking away.

Nothing. Then, so quiet Bucky almost misses it: “I’m sorry.”

Bucky looks at him.

Steve’s hair is all mussed up, and there’s an impressive bruise already forming between his eyes. He’s holding a paper towel up to his nose. He looks ashamed. And cute.

“I shouldn’t have hit him,” Steve continues, staring at his feet. “He didn’t do nothin’, besides call you names. Stupid reason to start a fight. We shoulda just left. I’m sorry.”

“Quit that,” Bucky scolds softly, reaching out to take the paper towel and blot at his nose.

Steve sighs, leaning into their touch. “Does it look bad?”

“No… Maybe they finally hit it back into place,” Bucky jokes.

Steve chuckles, still a little subdued.

“Listen, I’m not mad atcha or anythin’. In fact, _I_ should be apologizing, leavin’ you out there with those cops.”

“Naw,” Steve reassures them. “I know you don’t like ‘em. I’m not bleeding on your dress, am I?”

“Oh, yeah.” Bucky looks down at themself. “No, you’re not. Wait, yes you are.”

Steve sniffs. “Do you want to buy it? I think we have to now.”

“Sure Stevie,” Bucky smiles. “Let’s buy it.”

-

They hang it up in Bucky’s closet, next to their civvies and combat gear. It’s an… eclectic closet. As Bucky reorganizes their clothes, Steve sits on the bed, still looking guilty. At least his nose has stopped bleeding. Bucky shuts the closet door, flicking off the light. They walk up to Steve, stepping in between his knees.

“Hi,” they say, leading him up into a kiss.

“Hi,” Steve responds after a few seconds, smiling sadly.

Bucky pokes him in the ribs. “Are you still feelin’ bad about the mall? I told you, I’m not angry.”

Steve shakes his head defensively, but he totally is, so Bucky kisses him again, rubbing their hands down his arms. Steve slowly warms up, kissing them back.

“I really do like your dress,” Steve adds as Bucky smooches down his neck. “It suits you.”

Bucky grins against his skin. “It has pockets.”

Steve pulls back and gives them a genuinely astonished look. “Really?”

“Yup,” Bucky says, popping the p.

Steve smiles, but it’s happy this time. “That’s awesome, Buck.” He pulls them in for a sappy hug.

Bucky plays with his hair for a bit, thinking back to their experience at the mall. “Hey Steve,” they say.

“Yeah?”

“Am I different?”

Steve sits back and looks at them. “Why do you ask?”

“You called what those guys did a hate crime. You have to be different for that to happen to you. Am I different?”

“Well,” Steve starts, then stops. “Yeah, I guess. But that’s not a bad thing!” he quickly adds. “You’re just… you.”

“...A tranny?”

“Trans _gender_ , Buck. I looked it up.”

Bucky purses their lips. Transgender. They like the sound of that. Okay.

“Okay. What about a fag?”

“ _Gay_ ," he says. Then, to Bucky's confused look: "They don’t say fairy anymore. Anyway, I’m gay too, so that doesn’t count.”

“I thought you liked girls _and_ boys,” Bucky nudges him. “That’s why you like me so much.”

Steve laughs at that.

“Yeah, Buck,” he says, nuzzling into their neck. “I really do.”

**Author's Note:**

> At first I thought: would Steve really start throwing punches that soon? Then I thought: yeah. Yeah he would.
> 
> Flower meaning is from [gardenerdy.com](https://gardenerdy.com/snapdragon-meaning-symbolism)
> 
> Thanks for reading! Comments are always appreciated. See you soon!


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